Switzerland is world-known for its rich and marvelous folk art that encompasses music, dance, poetry, embroidery, and wood carving. At the same time, this central European country enjoys the status of a platform for the development of innovative contemporary art. You must have heard about the picturesque city of Basel that annually hosts Art Basel, one of the most influential art fairs in the world. Apart from that, it is home to the Kunstmuseum Basel, a fascinating museum with the largest public art collection in Switzerland. Fine Art Shippers had the chance to visit the museum, and we want to share our excitement with you.
Kunstmuseum Basel: The Largest Public Art Collection in Switzerland
The history of the Kunstmuseum Basel goes back to the second half of the 17th century. In 1661, Basel bought the Amerbach Cabinet, a private collection of paintings, artifacts, and libraries of the Amerbach family, which made Basel the first city to possess an art collection in Europe. Later, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, its official name, was made public. Over the years, it has grown into the world-famous largest public art collection in Switzerland. And nowadays, it consists of about 300,000 items that span eight centuries.
During our last trip to Basel, where Fine Art Shippers was providing some fine art logistics services, we had the pleasure of visiting a grandiose fall exhibition of the museum. It was dedicated to Camille Pissarro, one of the distinguished 19-century French painters. The Kunstmuseum Basel has eight of his paintings and many works on paper in its collection. The artist’s legacy once laid the foundation for Öffentliche Kunstsammlung of Impressionist art.
If you happen to be in Bazel, make sure to visit the Kunstmuseum Basel and embrace the largest public art collection in whole Switzerland. At Fine Art Shippers, we want to thank the highly professional staff of the museum and hope for fruitful cooperation with the institution in the future.